Hypoglycemic agents may be used in the treatment of both Type I and Type II diabetes to lower glucose concentration in blood. Insulinotropic peptides have been implicated as possible therapeutic agents for the treatment of diabetes. Insulinotropic peptides include incretin hormones such as, but are not limited to, gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) and glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) as well as fragments, variants, and conjugates thereof. Insulinotropic peptides also include exendin 3 and exendin 4. GLP-1 is a 30 amino acid long incretin hormone secrected by the L-cells in the intestine. GLP-1 has been shown to stimulate insulin secretion in a physiological and glucose-dependent manner, decrease glucagon secretion, inhibit gastric emptying, decrease appetite, and stimulate proliferation of β-cells.
Insulin and insulinotrpoic peptides may be administered via subcutaneous injection, such as with a needle containing device, for example, a pen injector, and/or syringe. Patients may need to inject several times a day to control blood glucose, which can be burdensome as well as painful. Thus, there is a need for methods of administering hypoglycemic agents less frequently and by methods that will minimize such burdensome regimens as well as site injection pain.